Audience measurement apparatus, system and method for producing audience information of a media presentation

ABSTRACT

Audience measurement methods and systems for producing audience information of a media presentation are disclosed. An example apparatus includes an audio capturing device to receive an audio signal corresponding to media presented in a local environment; a user interface including an audience member input, the selection of which is to indicate presence of an audience member; and a plurality of device inputs each corresponding to a respective type of media presentation device, the selection of one of the device inputs to indicate a type of media presentation device generating the captured audio signal; and memory to store first data associated with a first selection of the audience member input, the memory to store second data associated with a second selection of one of the device inputs, the memory to store the audio signal.

This patent arises from a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 11/955,520, filed on Dec. 13, 2007, which claims priority to GBPatent Application No. 0624942.9, filed Dec. 14, 2006, and entitled,“Audience Measurement Apparatus, System and Method for ProducingAudience Information of a Media Presentation.” U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/955,520 and GB Patent Application No. 0624942.9 are herebyincorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Apparatuses for measuring the audience of a media presentation, such asa television or a radio program, are well-known in the industry.Knowledge of the size and composition of audiences to television orradio broadcast associated to certain environments, for example a home,is of paramount importance for the whole broadcast industry in order torate the advertising space included in broadcasts.

Furthermore, knowledge of the demographical composition of the viewingaudience is critical for advertisers to optimize the effectiveness oftheir commercial messages by targeting the right groups for theirproducts.

In order to collect such information, usually a plurality of mediaconsumers is enlisted for cooperating in an audience measurement surveyfor a predefined length of time.

The group of viewers cooperating in the survey is called a “panel”,while each viewer participating in the panel is called a “panel member”.Audience metering apparatuses are then associated to the media renderingdevices or display systems used by panel members for watching televisionbroadcasts (hereinafter “media devices”) at their respective viewinglocations. Such metering apparatuses have two main goals: a) determiningthe content being shown on their associated media devices; and, b)registering the presence of one or more panel members so that theexposure to the content determined by the metering apparatuses can beaccounted to produce audience data.

Audience metering apparatuses have traditionally been in the form of aset-top box placed on the media device (traditionally a TV set). In FIG.1 an example is given of a typical set-top box 510, operating as ametering apparatus that is wire connected to a TV set 520 undermeasurement for identification of the content being displayed there. Anexample of an audience metering system currently being used in manycountries is given by the UNITAM system. The UNITAM system comprises aset-top box like metering device which includes several ports that allowthe connection to various media devices associated to the TV set undermeasurement. The metering device is capable of detecting the port fromwhich the signal on screen is being generated and derives audiosignatures continuously from that said port as long as it remainsactive. The signatures generated by the metering device are latertransmitted by modem to a remotely located central base, where they areprocessed in order to identify all content shown on the associated TVset.

In the case of the above-mentioned UNITAM metering system, this functionis achieved by means of a content identification technology comprising aset of techniques and methods that can recognize an unknown segment ofaudio material among a plurality of reference segments generated fromknown audio streams. Audio, received directly from the TV set, forexample as an audio signal via the wire connection, is converted into“signatures” that characterize the audio material being analyzed. Apattern correlation engine is then used to identify an unknown piece ofcontent by scanning its signatures against a large set ofpreviously-generated reference signatures. The content on display isthen determined by analyzing correlation values according to appropriatealgorithms in order to provide a wide range of media measurement andmonitoring services, of which the most widely used is “BroadcastIdentification” (i.e. recognizing a channel being watched on a TV set).Other well known techniques used by set-top box metering devices tocollect viewing data include detecting a content identification audiocode or an audio watermark inserted in the audio stream of the mediapresentation.

The combination of the data generated by a set-top box meter and itsassociated remote control (concept known as “people meter system”)offers accurate and complete information about the viewing session in acost-effective way. In this respect, an essential characteristic of thiskind of audience metering apparatuses is that viewers identifythemselves by declaring their presence in front of the TV set 520,usually by pressing an identification key on a remote control 530 thatis able to communicate with a decoder/receiver module 515 in the set-topbox 510 to produce presence information. A graphic display 516 is usedto communicate different types of messages to the panel members, themost important one being the acknowledgement that the declarationprocedure has been successfully completed.

An example of a remote control 530 currently being used by AGB NielsenMedia Research in their television audience measurement (“TAM”) systemis called “push-button people meter” measurement, or “active peoplemeter” measurement and is detailed in FIG. 2 a. A typical user interfaceof a TAM people meter's remote control includes: a) keys associated topanel members, b) keys associated to eventual guests, and c) keys toinput other type of information that indicates a relevant attribute of aviewing session (hereinafter “session attribute information”). Anessential issue for the accuracy of TAM system is that a different keyis univocally assigned to each panel member in order to facilitate thedeclaration process as much as possible. A second feature thatcritically contributes to the accuracy of the TAM system is that theremote control does not perform other functions unrelated to audiencemeasurement, so that it is always available to register any change inthe viewing session (i.e., people joining or leaving a viewing session,etc.). A third fundamental characteristic that notably influences theaccuracy of the measurements is given by the layout of the keys and theergonomics of the remote control, which have a significant impact incompliance levels.

In the example shown in FIG. 2 a, the remote control 530 includes aplurality of keys distributed on a layout comprising a first members'area 531, and a second guests' area 533. The first members' area 531 ispositioned in the lower portion of the remote control 530, so that thekeys identified by alphabetical letters are easily accessed by the thumbof the hand holding the remote control, allowing the panel members topromptly declare their presence by depressing their respective keys.Such members' keys are associated to the panel members during the setupof the system in the home. A ‘cast’ key 532 is provided for showing on adisplay of the set-top box 510 (see FIG. 1) the names of panel membersand their respective associated keys in the member area 531. In theexample, the second guests' area 533 is positioned in the upper portionof the remote control 530, and the keys identified by numbers are usedto declare the number of guests and their age. Two ‘gender’ keys 534 and535 are used to specify the gender of the guests. A further ‘Enter key’537 is intended for confirming storage of the guest data, while a‘Show/Esc’ key 536 is a service key for performing differentsupplementary actions, such as alternate display of panel members andguests list, or deletion of wrong data concerning guests. Using thistype of remote control guest entry, requires pressing four keys: one ofthe two gender keys, two number keys for the age (the range is 00-99)and the ‘Enter’ key.

In the example of FIG. 2 a, in the central portion of the remote control530 there is a ‘Holiday’ key 539 used to indicate that the panel familywill be away from home for a certain period, and a ‘Baby’ key 538 usedto indicate that the TV is being watched only by children below theminimum age required to be considered a panel member.

Another example of a set-top box people meter's remote control is givenin FIG. 2 b, which shows a remote control 540 used by the Broadcasters'Audience Research Board (BARB) in the United Kingdom. In this case, afirst members' area 541 is located at the left of the remote control'suser interface, and each member key is associated to a label indicatingthe panel member's name. A second guests' area 543 is located on theright of the user interface, and the presence of guests is declaredthrough two keys: one of both gender keys 544 and 545, and the keycorresponding to the age range to which the guest belongs. When comparedto the example given in FIG. 2 a, the guest entry procedure in thisremote control is achieved in a faster and easier way (i.e., pressingtwo keys instead of four). In 1999, the introduction into the UnitedKingdom of a new meter handset designed with the purpose of providing asimplified guest entry procedure and the facility to enter up to 99simultaneous guest viewers produced “both an increase in the number ofhouseholds registering guest viewers and an increase in the level ofguest viewing reported” (quoted from “Guest Viewing. Why and how it iscollected and how it contributes to Total Viewing”, document availableat www.tns-global.com).

As can be seen from the examples shown in FIGS. 2 a and 2 b, the layoutand the functions of the keys in the people meter's remote control areextremely important for the task of measuring audiences, since thehomogeneity (or heterogeneity) of the declaration interface may have animpact on the overall measurements results. The cooperation of thepanel, given the above-mentioned considerations, is a critical factorsince from a methodological perspective there is no viewing unless panelmembers declare their presence. In the case of a typical set-top boxmeter 510 (see FIG. 1), a key element that contributes to theeffectiveness of the panel member's presence declaration procedure isthe graphic display 516 included in the set-top box meter. One majorfunction of the display is to provide feedback to the panel member abouttheir status (i.e. present or absent). A second fundamental purpose ofthe display is to request the panel member to perform different tasksassociated with the viewing session in some specific cases. For example,if the meter detects that the TV set is on, but no panel member hasdeclared his/her presence, the graphic display can show a message askingwho is present, reminding the panel member to start the viewerdeclaration procedure if he/she is actually present. In the same way, ifno activity is detected on the part of the panel members after a certainamount of time, the display may show a message asking to confirm thepresence of any panel member.

As already stated, a set-top box meter with an associated remote controlhas proved to be a very effective solution for measuring televisionaudiences. However, in recent years technology has evolved in a dramaticway, offering new ways to be exposed to various types of media. Forexample, computers are being increasingly used for watching TV andlistening radio inside homes through Internet, in many cases using aWi-Fi link, which gives users the ability to do so in different placeswithin their homes or in their vicinity. In addition, the increasinglylower prices of conventional TV sets have increased the penetration ofthese devices within households, many times being installed or used inunusual locations. Furthermore, technology nowadays provides differentversions of portable multimedia players, where programs can bedownloaded for rendition in a mobile location, like for example thewell-known iPod from Apple Computers. In this new scenario, a set-topbox audience metering apparatus designed to be installed by beingattached to a TV set under measurement may not be appropriate orapplicable at all because it may be cumbersome and inconvenient.

Moreover, given that the set-top boxes used for metering usually need tobe wired to all of the signal sources associated to the TV set, such atype of audience metering apparatus is often not compatible with the useof ‘LCD’ or ‘plasma’ flat-screen TV sets which are usually installedattached to a wall, since there is not enough room or suitable place toinstall the metering apparatus, or the installation would beaesthetically annoying for panel members.

Recently, there has been development in the field of personal meters. Apersonal meter is usually a device that can be worn by a user and isequipped with a microphone capable of capturing the ambient sound towhich the user is being exposed, so that it can potentially identify theaudio track of a broadcast program through an appropriate broadcastidentification technique.

An example of a personal meter is the “Portable People Meter” or “PPM”currently offered by Arbitron Inc. in the United States and othercountries. In a panel using a personal audience meter, each panel memberhas to be equipped with his/her own device, which has to be worn bypanel members in order to capture any content to which they may beexposed during the entire day. The personal audience meters aresometimes perceived as an attractive solution because of the fact thatthey do not require installation and are therefore able, in principle,to capture mobile viewing situations (provided that users agree to carrythe device with them during most of the day).

However, several drawbacks with personal devices have been noticed inthe last few years as a result of personal devices being tested indifferent situations. One example is given by the tests conducted onvarious personal meters by the Radio Joint Audience Research (RAJAR) inthe United Kingdom during 2004, which were made public in February 2005.The results of the tests cast some doubts about the accuracy of theaudience data generated by the use of such personal devices. Among thedrawbacks, one of the most apparent is that personal meters areburdensome for panel members, since they have to be worn during thewhole time members are awake (i.e. from dawn till they go to sleep atnight). This inevitably induces a negative attitude among panel membersthat tends to reduce cooperation, and therefore reduce viewing levels,whilst at the same time increasing drop-out rates (i.e., panel membersterminating their cooperation agreements), all of which has asignificant impact on operating costs and data quality.

Another important drawback of personal meters is that, in order todetermine exposure to content being shown on TV devices, personal metersrely on the proximity of the person wearing the meter to those devices.This implies a drastic change in the definition of “viewing”, since itoverrides the direct concept of voluntary user declaration, replacing itwith an indirect method based on recognition of certain specific contentby an electronic device. It has not been proved that such a methodaccurately reflects when a panel member is in a viewing situation, sincethe method is heavily dependent on a number of variables, whilst onlysome of the variables are related to spatial proximity. For example, thephysical posture of the person at any given time may be critical to thedevice's capability of recognizing the content being shown on the TVdevice, since it could alter the acoustic path between a TV device'sspeaker and the meter's microphone, sometimes attenuating the soundlevel arriving at the personal meter, thereby making content recognitionimpossible.

Moreover, the recognition effectiveness of a personal meter can beinfluenced by several possible disturbances which may be affected byenvironmental variables, potentially modifying the overall audiencevalues. For example, an acoustic phenomenon like reverberation cansignificantly alter a personal meter's performance (in terms of contentrecognition), since it tends to scramble the original signal withunwanted copies of it, carrying various delays with respect to eachother. Since reverberation levels are heavily dependent on weatherconditions (e.g. temperature, pressure, humidity, etc.), all of thesevariables can potentially alter the average audience levels obtained bythese devices.

Given the above-mentioned inconveniences, personal people meters canonly really be considered a solution suitable for measurement ofout-of-home viewing, where there are currently no technical oreconomically feasible alternatives. However, in view of theabove-mentioned inconveniences, personal people meters are notappropriate for measuring in-home viewing situations, which require morerigorous measuring methods in order to achieve higher levels ofaccuracy.

There is, therefore, a need for an audience measurement system that iscapable of producing audience information of a media presentationdistributed through a plurality of media rendering devices located atdifferent places within a home environment and that is not burdened bythe mentioned limitations of fixed people meters or personal peoplemeters.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, by referringto the enclosed drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a set-top box metering device according to theprior art;

FIGS. 2 a and 2 b are diagrams of remote controls currently used withthe set-top box meter of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an apparatus according to embodiments;

FIGS. 4 a and 4 b are two views of the apparatus according toembodiments;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a complementary module for the apparatusaccording to embodiments;

FIG. 6 is a diagram of one embodiment of the apparatus according toembodiments; and

FIG. 7 is a diagram of an alternative embodiment of the apparatusaccording to embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments relate to audience measurement apparatuses, systems andmethods used for measuring the audience of a media presentation, forexample measuring audiences of programs broadcast by television andradio which are watched, or listened to, by means of different types ofmedia apparatuses available at a household. Embodiments are applicableto all systems suitable for offering media presentations similar tothose described in what follows.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of an apparatus for measuring audience of amedia presentation according to embodiments, indicated as a whole byreference number 10.

Such apparatus 10 includes, represented by a block identified byreference number 20, a microphone suitable for detecting the audioportion of a media presentation. Such a microphone 20 is connected incascade to a microphone amplifier 30 and to a subsequentanalog-to-digital converter 40 that carries out a digitalization of theaudio part of the media presentation prior an audio processing block 50.Such an audio processing block 50 derives content identificationinformation from the sample of audio recording captured by themicrophone 20. Such content identification information, associated withcorresponding time stamps, is stored and further transmitted to a remoteprocessing location to contribute in the production of audienceinformation. The content identification technology to be used could be,for example, the one currently used by the UNITAM people meter mentionedabove, among other approaches available for the measurement oftelevision and radio audiences. The content identification informationis then supplied to a Central Processing Unit 70 that is equipped with aFlash Memory 90 for storing it together with other related data like thepresence information as declared by panel members. The CentralProcessing Unit is equipped also with an input/output data port 80. Theapparatus exchanges the viewing data with a host device 100 that isshown in FIG. 5. In a preferred embodiment, host device 100 has theshape of a docking station for one or more of the apparatus 100. Theconnection may be implemented through a USB (Universal Serial Bus)connector when the apparatus is docked, or by means of any suitablewireless data link, such as, but not limited to, infrared, Bluetooth,Wi-Fi, etc.

The apparatus 10 is included in a housing 11 having the shape and sizeof a palmar device, that can be moved around within different locationsin a home environment (i.e. the device is shaped and dimensioned so asto be portable), or, if the case, also in other outdoor areas within thehome. The apparatus 10 is powered by means of a battery 130.

The apparatus 10 includes also a User Interface 60 that comprises akeyboard 62 and a visual indicator arrangement 61.

Such keyboard 62 and visual indicator arrangement 61 can be betterobserved in FIG. 4 a, where a schematic front view of the apparatus 10is shown.

The keyboard 62 is readily accessible to the panel member for declaringhis/her presence in front of the media rendering device being measured,and the visual indicator arrangement 61 provides signalling means tofeedback information about the presence of the members.

It must be noted that although for clarity purposes the keyboard 62 isrepresented in FIG. 4 a in a very simplified manner, as well as thehousing 11, such housing and the layout of the keys correspondssubstantially to the housing and the layout functionality of the priorart remote controls 530 and 540 shown with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 a and2 b. In this way, the advantage given by the homogeneity among thedifferent remote controls is exploited based on panel cooperationhypotheses strongly dependent on such layout.

According to an enhanced embodiment, the apparatus 10 further includes asound generator 31 connected to an amplifier 32 which drives an acoustictransducer 63. The sound generator 31 may include any suitable circuitryto produce an electronic audio signal while amplifier 32 may include anysuitable circuitry capable of driving acoustic transducer 63. In apreferred embodiment, sound generator 31 includes A/D converter means toproduce said audio signal through digital processing. Acoustictransducer 63 may include an electro-magnetic speaker, piezoelectricmembrane, or any other suitable transducer technology capable ofconverting a low-frequency electronic signal into vibration of a mass.

As explained above, the audio stimulus produced by acoustic transducer63 may be used to prompt or remind the panel member, by means ofspecifically designed audio messages or sounds, to perform certain tasksassociated with their participation in the survey.

The apparatus 10 for measuring audience of a media presentation operatesas follows.

Panel members are instructed to undock and place the moveable apparatus10 in the proximity of the measured media rendering device (TV set,radio set, PC, portable multimedia player or others) and, as it is thecase for the prior set-top box metering systems, panel members arerequired to declare their presence through keyboard 61. The apparatus 10through the microphone 20 picks up the audio part of the media contentbeing rendered by the measured device and derives content identificationinformation out of it through blocks 30, 40, and 50, storing it in thememory 90 for later downloading to the host device 100, shown in FIG. 5.

In a preferred embodiment, such host device 100 includes a plurality ofslots 110 in which the apparatuses 10 can be inserted and connectedthrough connectors compatible with the USB connector to circuitrysuitable for forwarding the information stored in memory 90 to aremotely located central processing base. Such a circuitry, not shown inFIG. 3, may include a radio transmitter or alternatively utilise a linkthrough an available communication network, either wired or wireless. Amessage display 120 is also provided on the host device 100 in order toalert the panel members to perform the required tasks, for instance byvisualizing a message like “23:59—Please dock your devices!”. Panelmembers are indeed instructed to place their moveable apparatus 10 inthe host device 100 every night before going to sleep (or 2 AM,whichever comes first) for downloading of the stored information and forrecharging of the battery 130. The acoustic transducer 63 may complementor replace the display 120 in reminding panel members about thisrequirement by generating an audio message which is played to the panelmember through the acoustic transducer 63.

One embodiment of an apparatus is shown in FIG. 6, indicated as a wholeby the reference 210.

Such apparatus 210 includes same or analogous modules with respect tothat previously indicated in the block diagram of FIG. 3, including aUser Interface 260 comprising a layout of keys analogous to that of theremote control 540 shown in FIG. 2 b. Therefore, the apparatus 210includes the panel members' area 541, the guests' area 543, the‘Holiday’ key 539 and the ‘Baby’ key 538, already described above. Theapparatus 210 comprises a visual indication arrangement 542 includingLiquid Cristal Displays (LCDs) which fits in the keyboard layout and isused to provide feedback to the panel members, clearly indicating whatpanel members are present at the viewing session. In an alternativeembodiment, the apparatus 210 provides feedback to the panel members bymeans of light emitting diodes (LEDs) that signal through an on/offstatus indication the presence/absence of the corresponding panelmember.

The User Interface 261 includes a further keys area: a session attributearea 270 that comprises a plurality of keys for entering session relatedinformation, as for example declaring the type of media rendering deviceunder measurement. The session attribute area 270 shown in theembodiment of FIG. 6 includes a key for declaring an audience in frontof a TV set (indicated as “TV” in FIG. 6), a key for declaring audiencein front of a personal computer (indicated as “PC” in FIG. 6), a key fordeclaring audience in front of programs which are broadcast viasatellite (indicated as “SAT” in FIG. 6) and a key for declaringaudience in front of a portable multimedia player device (indicated as“PMP” in FIG. 6) such as an Ipod.

The addition of the session attribute area 270 allows panel members todeclare additional important information that regards the media devicebeing viewed or listened, with a minimal change in the User Interface ofthe system. Furthermore, the session attribute area 270 enhances theportability of the apparatus 210, increasing the number of mediarendering devices that can be measured through it. The number of keys ofthe session attribute area 270 is not restricted to four so that it mayvary according to the amount of different media presentation devices tobe measured, and the feedback to the panel member may be providedthrough any type of visual indication items, such as LEDs, LCDs,back-lit keys, amongst others.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the visual indicator arrangement 542shows that panel members associated with keys A, C and F are present ina PC media session. Such a function of indicating who is present infront of a specific media rendering device was already present inconventional set-top box metering apparatuses, and it is advantageouslytransferred to the moveable apparatus 210.

The acoustic transducer 63 is used to alert the panel member about theneed to perform essential cooperation tasks. In one embodiment, alibrary of synthesized voice messages is stored in Flash Memory 90, andan appropriate message is played back to the panel member throughcentral processing unit 70, sound generator 31, amplifier 32 andacoustic transducer means 63 (see FIG. 3). For example, the apparatuscould play a voice message meaning “Please, dock me” in a local languagewhen a certain low battery threshold is detected or when a panel memberdeclares the end of a viewing session. Yet another advantageous use ofacoustic transducer 63 is to play back a voice message to thank panelmembers when they complete successfully a certain task, for example,after declaring their presence or after successfully docking apparatus10 into host device 100.

The apparatus 210 further includes a microphone 20, visible in FIG. 6,plus the microphone amplifier 30, the analog-to-digital converter 40 andthe audio processing block 50, not shown there. The apparatus 210includes also a Central Processing Unit 70, a Flash Memory 90, a soundgenerator 31, an amplifier 32 and a battery 130 (not shown in thefigure), while the input/output data port 80 is visible in the lowerportion of the apparatus 210. In an alternative embodiment, an audioinput port may be added to the apparatus so that an audio signal may befed to the apparatus 210 by means of a direct connection to an audiooutput port of the media rendering device under measurement.

Another embodiment of the apparatus is shown in FIG. 7. Such apparatus310 includes analogous modules with respect to that previously indicatedin the block diagram of FIG. 3, including a User Interface 260comprising a layout of keys analogous to that of the remote control 530shown in FIG. 2 a. Therefore, the apparatus 210 includes the members'area 531, the guests' area 533, the ‘Holiday’ key 539 and the ‘Baby’ key538, already described above. The apparatus 310 comprises a visualindicator arrangement including a graphic display 262 that fits in thelayout of the keys, used to provide feedback to the panel members,clearly indicating if their presence has been registered. What regardssuch graphic display 262, it must be noted that preferably such displaysubstantially replicates the images and messages usually displayed byset-top box meters, requiring therefore a minimal adaptation effort bypanel members already cooperating in a survey. In the example shown inFIG. 6, the display 262 shows that key “B” in the members' area 531corresponds to the panel member named “JOHN”. Such a function, asexplained, is already present in some set-top box metering devices, andit is advantageously transferred to the apparatus 210.

The User Interface 261 also includes a session attribute area 270 thatcomprises a plurality of keys devoted to the declaration of the audiencerendering device under measurement, each of them associated to a visualindication of its corresponding on/off status.

The apparatus 310 includes an acoustic transducer 63 and a microphone20, visible in FIG. 6, plus a microphone amplifier 30, ananalog-to-digital converter 40 and an audio processing block 50, notshown there. The apparatus 310 includes as well a Central ProcessingUnit 70, a Flash Memory 90, a sound generator 31, an amplifier 32 and abattery 130 (not shown), while input/output data port 80 is visible inthe lower portion of the apparatus 310.

Thus, embodiments of an audience measurement system for producingaudience information of a media presentation include a moveableapparatus that picks up an audio signal belonging to the mediapresentation, and processes the audio signal in order to derive contentidentification information. Embodiments of the apparatus comprise a userinterface that enables panel members to indicate their presence in frontof a media presenting device and to indicate the media session type,providing feedback to panel members about the presence information andthe selected media session type. The content identification information,presence information and the media session type are stored and may thenbe downloaded to, for example, a docking station which sends the data toa remotely located central base for further processing for generatingaudience information.

It is a main object of embodiments to provide an audience measurementsystem for producing audience information of media presentations (mainlytelevision and audio broadcasting, but not only) that can cover exposureto content that happens inside a home using one or more metering devicesthat can be moved to different locations within a home (i.e. meteringdevices that are not fixed).

It is still another object of embodiments to provide an apparatus andmethod having the features set forth above, that requires minimum setupeffort, if any, while still providing more accurate data than a personalmeter.

It is still another object of embodiments to provide an apparatus andmethod having the features set forth above, that does not significantlyincrease the burden imposed to panel members (in terms of cooperation).

It is still another object of embodiments to provide an apparatus andmethod able to measure audience in association with different mediarendering devices (as, for example, television sets, radio sets,personal computers, portable multimedia players, amongst the most usual)in different locations within a home environment.

It is another object of embodiments to provide an apparatus and methodhaving the features set forth above and whose measuring accuracy doesnot depend on the body posture of the panel member and is not criticallyaffected by the environmental conditions.

It is still another object of embodiments to provide an apparatus andmethod having the features set forth above that substantially preservesthe accepted definition of “viewing” within the industry, so that it hasthe capability of producing audience data that can be seamlesslycombined with data produced by set-top box metering systems.

A preferred embodiment comprises a moveable apparatus havingsubstantially the shape, size and keyboard layout of a typical remotecontrol used in a conventional set-top box people meter, said moveableapparatus further including an arrangement of visual indicators forrealizing essential user interface features of conventional set-top boxpeople meters, plus an audio pickup and suitable electronic processingmeans for content identification. In a system embodiment, the apparatusis complemented with a docking station where said apparatus can bedocked periodically for the purpose of recharging a battery and fordownloading data that has been captured by the apparatus during themeasurement process and subsequently transferring the data to a remotelylocated processing centre for producing audience information.

An audience measurement system comprising embodiments of the apparatusis capable of realizing the objects set forth above providing severaladvantages with respect to prior art systems.

Because it does not need to be connected to the measured media renderingdevice, embodiments are capable of capturing viewing through moveablemedia rendering devices used within an environment as well as mediarendering devices otherwise not measurable by fixed meters, yetproviding substantially the same type of audience information currentlyobtained from fixed people meter systems. Since the presence of panelmembers is registered by declaration in the same way as conventionalpeople meters, there is no change in the definition of viewing from amethodological standpoint, which is of paramount importance in order tomaximize the compatibility of the viewing data produced by systemembodiments with that of existing audience measurement systems currentlyin use in dozens of panels around the world.

One advantage of embodiments is that, by being an apparatus which ismoveable but which is not required to be worn by panel members, itimplies no substantial change in the level of cooperation from panelmembers to realize the survey having regard to today's set-top boxmeters.

System embodiments are more efficient than systems based on personaldevices when measuring audiences in closed environments, since theapparatus can be shared among several panel members as opposed torequiring one separate device for each one of them. Furthermore, theaudio reception of embodiments can be expected to be more accurate thanthat of personal devices, since the apparatus is intended to be placedin proximity of the measured media rendering device, which makes theaudio reception less prone to disturbance from noise and acousticdistortions, whilst at the same time being completely independent of theposition of the viewer or listener.

It must be also noticed that, contrary to personal meter solutions thattend to burden panel members by requiring them to wear the device duringthe whole day, the system embodiments do not imply any substantialchange in the way panel members are ought to cooperate with the survey,except for the additional requirement of docking the moveable apparatuswith a certain periodicity.

Moreover, since apparatus embodiments are dedicated devices (i.e.,embodiments are not intended to perform other functions beyond thoserelated to audience measurement), it eliminates the possibility (andtherefore any potential associated interference) of panel membersexecuting alternative functions that could interrupt or distort theaudience measurement process.

In an enhanced embodiment of the apparatus of the system, said keyboardfurther includes an additional set of keys for entering additionalinformation about a viewing session being measured through it (i.e.,session attribute information).

In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus, said additional set of keysare used to specify what type of media rendering device is beingmeasured so that a single apparatus can be used to measure a pluralityof media rendering devices within a given environment, providing a clearbenefit in terms of efficiency.

Yet another preferred embodiment of the apparatus comprises acoustictransducer means capable of producing a stimulus in an audio domain toalert panel members at certain times when their cooperation is required.The acoustic transducer means may be used as well to complement the userinterface with audio indicators that feedback panel members aftercertain tasks have been completed.

Without prejudice to the underlying principles of invention, the detailsand embodiments may vary significantly, with respect to what has beendescribed and shown by way of example only, without departing from thescope of the invention as defined by the annexed claims.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the term mediapresentations as used in the context of this document can representtelevision or radio programs broadcast via a variety of communicationmeans, including cable networks, satellite networks, Internet, fiberoptic cables, etc., as well as other types of suitable means to transmitaudio and video programs to potential consumers.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An apparatus, comprising: an audiocapturing device to receive an audio signal corresponding to mediapresented in a local environment; a user interface including: anaudience member input, the selection of which is to indicate presence ofan audience member; and a plurality of device inputs each correspondingto a respective type of media presentation device, the selection of oneof the device inputs to indicate a type of media presentation devicegenerating the captured audio signal; and memory to store first dataassociated with a first selection of the audience member input, thememory to store second data associated with a second selection of one ofthe device inputs, the memory to store the audio signal.
 2. An apparatusas defined in claim 1, further comprising a processor to associatepresence data gathered via the audience member input with media devicetype data gathered via the device inputs.
 3. An apparatus as defined inclaim 1, further comprising a processor to extract media identifyinginformation from the captured audio signal.
 4. An apparatus as definedin claim 3, wherein the processor is to associate presence data gatheredvia the audience member input with the extracted media identifyinginformation.
 5. An apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein theprocessor is to associate the extracted media identifying informationwith media device type data gathered via the device inputs.
 6. Anapparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a feedback mechanismfor each of the device inputs indicative of whether the correspondingone of the device inputs is currently selected.
 7. An apparatus asdefined in claim 6, wherein the feedback mechanisms comprise a visualindicator.
 8. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising afeedback display associated with the audience member input, the feedbackdisplay to identify a name of a panel member assigned to the audiencemember input.
 9. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprisinga communication device to transmit data stored in the memory to acollection device.
 10. A method, comprising: capturing an audio signalfrom an environment in which media is presented; in response toreceiving a first selection of an audience member input of a userinterface implemented on a handheld device, storing first dataindicative of presence of a first audience member in the environment; inresponse to receiving a second selection of a first one of a pluralityof device inputs of the user interface, storing second data indicativeof a first type of media presentation device generating the audio signalcorresponding to the first device input; and in response to receiving athird selection of a second one of the plurality of device inputs of theuser interface, storing third data indicative of a second type of mediapresentation device generating the audio signal corresponding to thesecond device input.
 11. A method as defined in claim 10, furthercomprising associating media identifying information with the firstdata.
 12. A method as defined in claim 10, further comprisingassociating media identifying information with one of the second andthird data.
 13. A method as defined in claim 10, further comprisingassociating the first data with one of the second and third data.
 14. Amethod as defined in claim 10, further comprising displaying feedbackindicative of the second selection of the first one of the plurality ofdevice inputs.
 15. A method as defined in claim 10, further comprisingcommunicating the first, second, and third data to a collection device.16. A method as defined in claim 10, further comprising electronicallydisplaying a name of a panel member assigned to the audience memberinput.
 17. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the audience memberinput is assigned to a first panel member of a household.
 18. A method,comprising: processing a received audio signal with a processor of aportable device to extract media identifying information; capturingpresence information entered by a panel member via a respective one of aplurality of member inputs; receiving an indication of a type of mediapresentation device generating the audio signal via a respective one ofa plurality of device inputs, each of the device inputs selectable toindicate a respective type of media presentation devices; and storingthe media identifying information, the indication of the type of mediapresentation device generating the received audio signal, and thepresence information in memory.
 19. A method as defined in claim 18,further comprising associating the media identifying information withthe second.
 20. A method as defined in claim 18, further comprisingassociating the first data with the second data.